'Identity Disclosure of Park Won-soon Victim' Kim Min-woong Ordered to Pay 30 Million Won in Damages

Kim Min-woong, a former professor at Kyung Hee University's Future Civilization Institute, who revealed the identity of the victim of the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's sexual violence case on his social networking service (SNS), has been ordered to pay 30 million won in damages to the victim.

Former Kyung Hee University Future Civilization Institute Professor Kim Min-woong [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 2nd, Judge Cho Yong-hee of the Civil Division 8 at the Seoul Eastern District Court ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff, A, in the damages lawsuit filed against former Professor Kim on June 25.

The court stated, "It is clear that the plaintiff suffered considerable mental distress due to the defendant's illegal act, and therefore the defendant is obligated to compensate the plaintiff for the mental damages caused by this incident," ordering Kim to pay 30 million won in consolation damages to A. This ruling was finalized on the 20th of last month as neither party appealed.

In December 2020, former Professor Kim disclosed three letters written by A to former Mayor Park from 2016 to 2018 on his SNS. He was prosecuted for exposing A's real name during this process.

The first trial court sentenced former Professor Kim, who was charged with violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (confidentiality, etc.) in 2022, to six months in prison with a one-year probation. At the second trial held on January 30, he was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation. Former Professor Kim filed an appeal against the second trial verdict.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.